1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for managing and administering patients, time based rules and personnel across one or more facilities. The present invention is ideally suited for use in correctional institutions. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for scheduling, tracking, and managing requests, grievances, personnel, supplies, and facilities for health and, specifically, dental activities within a correctional institution.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prisons or correctional institutions have unique factors to contend with when handling the care and treatment of inmates. Included in this care and treatment are the inmate's physical health, mental health, pharmaceutical, and dental care needs. Therefore, correctional institutions need doctors, psychiatrists, physician assistants, pharmacists, dentists, dental assistants, and hygienists to perform many intensive and time-sensitive procedures on patients. However, these same institutions have numerous factors to account for when treating inmates including safety, security, scheduling, lockdowns, transfers, health standards, release dates and more. These factors create a need for prison facilities to manage their dental operations effectively.
The majority of correctional health and dental departments currently rely on paper scheduling systems to manage their health and dental operations. These inefficient systems often result in institutions not meeting standards established by the respective Department of Corrections and governing bodies including the American Correctional Association and National Commission on Correctional Health Care.
One of the important standards includes the number of days by which service should be rendered based on the date the procedure was requested, referred to herein as the “Lapse Time” or “Lapsed Time”. More specifically, the Lapse Time refers to the number of days the service should be rendered starting from the date the service was requested. Adhering to such standards prevents or limits grievances and ensuing law suits. However, current health and dental management systems are focused on scheduling and treating typical or standard patients and do not account for the unique factors and standards of correctional institutions. What is needed is a system which helps administer health, mental health, and dental practices for correctional facilities by tracking and scheduling treatment requests while adhering to the unique standards and issues of correctional institutions.